Thinking of my Grandma Hilgefort

I made some pancakes this morning.  Not just any pancakes, but "Grandma's Pancakes". 

When we were kids, my sister and I would stay overnight at my grandma and grandpa's house.  And that meant her pancakes for breakfast.  She made them in a big speckled bowl and never measured the ingredients.  She made them in her electric skillet and we always made a big deal when the pancakes were kissin', which was when the batter from one pancake ran and touched another pancake.  We would fill the bathroom sink with hot water and put the bottle of syrup in the sink while Grandma made the pancakes.  We could have used the microwave by that time, but I guess that's how it was always done before microwave ovens. 

When Kelly was older, like fourteen or fifteen, she decided she wanted the recipe.  Grandma told her there was no recipe, that she just put the ingredients together.  That was no way to figure out a recipe, though.  I remember Grandma trying to get out the right amout of flour and Kelly stopping to measure it before it went in the bowl.  Grandma thought the whole business was "queer" and the pancakes didn't turn out that good.  We gave up, figuring we'd never know how to make them when Grandma was gone.

Fast forward to my bridal shower.  My grandma had passed away about six weeks prior.  Everyone was asked to bring a recipe for me.  My cousin Julie brought a recipe called "Grandma's Pancakes"!  I couldn't believe it!  Apparently her mother, my aunt Marian had come up with the recipe through trial and error.  I couldn't wait to try them. 

They turned out exactly right!  So now I make Grandma's pancakes and think fondly of my sweet grandma, who wanted me to sit on her lap, even when I was twenty years old and afraid I'd break her. 

Here's the recipe:

1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 big egg or 2 small eggs
1 scoop flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix ingredients in blender.  Batter should be thin.  Fry in hot skillet. 

Now, usually I do make them in the blender, which is not the authentic way of doing it.  And I have figured that 1 scoop of flour is about 3/4 cup.  And to make them truly like Grandma's, they have to be fried in lard.  But I don't keep lard in the house, so I usually use a spray of Pam.  Though when you do that, the edges don't get crispy like Grandma's did.  When I made them today, I used a big bowl to mix, Crisco shortening and a large serving spoon to transfer the batter to my electric griddle.  Just to feel more like Grandma.